1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic component and a method for manufacturing the same, and more specifically to an electronic component including a multilayer composite containing a coil and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 10 shows a known electronic component 500. FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the known electronic component 500. The electronic component 500 includes a multilayer composite 502, a coil L, and external electrodes 508a and 508b. The multilayer composite 502 includes a stack of rectangular magnetic layers. The coil L includes coil conductors 504a to 504i connected to each other with via hole conductors, and is disposed within the multilayer composite 502. The external electrodes 508a and 508b are disposed on side surfaces of the multilayer composite 502, and are connected to the ends of the coil L.
Furthermore, non-magnetic layers 506a to 506c are disposed in the multilayer composite 502 so as to improve the DC-superimposing characteristic of the electronic component 500. FIGS. 11A to 11C are plan views of the non-magnetic layers 506a to 506c, respectively. The non-magnetic layer 506a shown in FIG. 11A is disposed between the coil conductors 504c and 504d and further extends to the outside of the coil L. The non-magnetic layer 506b shown in FIG. 11B is disposed between the coil conductors 504d and 504e and further extends to the outside of the coil L. The non-magnetic layer 506c shown in FIG. 11C is disposed between the coil conductors 504e and 504f and further extends to the outside of the coil L. Thus, the non-magnetic layers 506a, 506b and 506c of the electronic component 500 prevent excessive increase of the magnetic flux density in the multilayer composite 502. Consequently, the magnetic saturation in the electronic component 500 can be prevented, and the DC-superimposing characteristic can be improved.
However, the manufacturing process of the known electronic component 500 is undesirably complicated owing to the following reason. The coil conductors 504a to 504i are connected to each other with via hole conductors. As shown in FIGS. 11A to 11C, the non-magnetic layers 506a to 506c have respective via holes h1 to h3 in which the via hole conductors are to be formed. However, the via holes h1 to h3 are formed at different positions, as shown in FIGS. 11A to 11C. Accordingly, if the non-magnetic layers 506a to 506c are printed on the coil conductors 504d to 504f and the magnetic layers by printing through a mask, three types of masks are used. Consequently, the manufacturing process of the electronic component 500 becomes undesirably complicated.
The known electronic component may be a multilayer inductor as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-318946. This patent document discloses as well that non-magnetic layers can be provided in the multilayer composite to improve the DC-superimposing characteristic. However, it does not describe how the manufacturing process of the electronic component 500 is simplified.